West Virginia Connecting to Collections Town Meeting/Focus Group

Dear Colleague:

We invite you to join us for a 75-minute focus group to share your insights and opinions on the preservation needs of West Virginia collections. West Virginia University Libraries and the Huntington Museum of Art are leading this important opportunity to identify collections care needs throughout the state and to help develop a statewide preservation plan. This project is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Connecting to Collections grant program.

The focus group will take place at the West Virginia Library Association Annual Meeting. Here are the details:

Session Title: West Virginia Connecting to Collections Town Meeting/Focus Group

Date and Time: Thursday, October 14th, 8:30-9:45 a.m.

Location: Stonewall Ballroom II

Please respond to tom.clareson@lyrasis.org by Tuesday, October 12, if you plan to attend. .

Why Participate in this Focus Group?

Opinions you provide will communicate the scope and nature of the preservation needs of collections statewide and will guide the efforts of decision-makers and funders to address those needs. You will help us ensure that our planning accurately identifies the needs of the state.

We hope to apply for grant funding to assist West Virginia cultural institutions in meeting their preservation needs. The best way to guarantee that your needs are represented is to participate in a forum to tell us what is most important to you.
In the final plan, you will see your institution’s preservation needs in a context and form you can then use to raise your institutional awareness and promote long-range planning for the care of your collections.

Focus group deliberations are considered confidential. Any published comments or responses will not be identified as to speaker.

Thanks so much for your time and assistance!

Frances O’Brien, Dean, WVU Libraries

Margaret Mary Layne, Executive Director, Huntington Museum of Art

Taste of Asia

Good meal tonight, but was a little slow. They didn't expect the librarians until tomorrow, so only one waiter. Tomorrow should be better. Looks like Foxfire will be fun. I'll let everyone know more about Cheat Mtn Pizza tomorrow after breakfast.

I am staying in the Rimfire. Room is very nice (1 Bed Condo), but be prepared that wireless doesn't work up here. Cell phones are out except possibly AT&T. Wireless internet at conference center but not in condo rooms. They provide a cat5 cable on a $30 deposit that is reimbursed when you return to desk upon checkout.

Look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow. Getting excited about conference and hope everyone has a blast.

PS: Bring a jacket and possibly a coat. Very cool and foggy conditions tonight.

Invitation from the President

Read the President Brian Raitz's invitation to the conference including lots of conference information in pdf.

Registration Form Available

The registration form for this year's conference is available as a word document and in pdf on the WVLA web site and the early bird rates are available until Wednesday, August 26, 2009.

WVLA Conference Program

The Conference Program is posted in PDF and will be updated as time passes until the big event in the beautiful Snowshoe Resort. We'll keep you posted on the WVLA list when the program is updated.

Lodging Information

Hurry and get the best room you can for the conference. Be sure to tell them you are with WVLA and get the conference rates. The rates are extended if you want to stay a while! Here is the lodging info in PDF.

List of Exhibitors at WVLA 2009

The List of Exhibitors is up and will grow as we get closer to the conference dates. Check out the various vendors who will be there to provide presentations on the latest library product and service developments.

Programs and Snowshoe

Thank you to all of those that sent in program proposals. I have quite a few good ones to go through, and I'm starting to get excited about the coming Fall Conference. It will surely be a wonderful time to visit the mountains with the leaves beginning to turn and all of the wonderful camaraderie amongst fellow librarians.

Here is a link to the Snowshoe site with virtual tours and information on the facility. Here is a Welcome to Snowshoe Video.


One last note is that Pam Coyle has 50 signed copies of Lisa Scottoline's new book Look Again for the first 50 people registered.

Vendors! Invitation to Exhibit at the 2009 West Virginia Library Association Annual Conference

Vendors! You are cordially invited to exhibit at the 2009 West Virginia Library Association Annual Conference to be held September 30 through October 2, 2009 at the Showshoe Mountain Resort in Showshoe, West Virginia. If you are interested in exhibiting at the WVLA fall conference please see the prospectus for the fall conference.